Author: Jeff Cummins

Jeff Cummins has written about football since 1998, including nine years with The Record of Hackensack, N.J. He frequently contributes feature stories to Touchdown Illustrated, an insert in the national college football game program, published by University Sports Publications, and he has also written the official pregame stories for the game programs of the Rose Bowl, the Cotton Bowl, the Sugar Bowl, the Gator Bowl, and the BCS National Championship game. He has written the preview story for the official program for the NHL Winter Classic at MIchigan Stadium, and numerous college basketball feature stories for College Hoops Illustrated, another game program insert published by University Sports Publications. In addition, he has written stories about theater, music, physical therapy, and newsletter marketing. He’s an avid Michigan football fan and long-time New York Jets season ticket holder, and he can be reached at jeffcummins@optonline.net.
Posted on

Michigan vs Michigan State Football — Looking Back – 2015

Looking Back is a Special Feature by Jeff Cummins Highlighting Key Rivalry Games

The fourth installment of this year’s series looking back at the football rivalry between Michigan and Michigan State takes us back to 2015.

Michigan struggled in the first few games of the Harbaugh era, but by midseason, the Wolverines were clicking in every facet of the game, and the matchup vs. Michigan State was supposed to be the first signature victory of the Harbaugh era.

With just 10 seconds left, Michigan was clinging to a two-point lead, knowing that a good punt should secure a victory. The biggest concern was getting the punt off successfully, which most thought would be easy enough. Still, there was an uneasy feeling about the moment. Something was off, though it was difficult to quantify exactly what it was.

Moments later, we all knew what the problem was. Punter Blake O’Neill had trouble with the snap, and somehow the ball wound up in the hands of the Spartans’ Jaylen Watts-Jackson, who sprinted to the end zone to give Michigan State its first lead of the game, with no time remaining. Just like that, Michigan State stunned Michigan, 27-23.

It all happened so quickly that it didn’t seem real. The visual of a stunned Michigan student on national TV is etched in the memories of Michigan fans around the globe. Just like that, a game that should have been a hard-fought victory became yet another in a string of losses to Michigan State.

The truth is that the loss can’t be merely pinned on just one player’s shoulders. Michigan struggled throughout the game, and the fact that the game was still in question near the end was reason enough for concern. As always, I own nothing. This blog post is strictly for the enjoyment of readers.

Posted on

Michigan vs Michigan State Football — Looking Back – 1985

Looking Back is a Special Feature by Jeff Cummins Highlighting Key Rivalry Games

For the third installment of the series covering the football rivalry between Michigan and Michigan State, we go back to 1985. The national economy was roaring, but but the atmosphere was very different at Michigan before the 1985 season. The Wolverines had finished the previous season with an uncharacteristic record of six wins and six losses, and there was no hype around the ’85 Wolverines. Which might just have been for the best.

Michigan’s defense played as well in 1985 as it has at almost any point since 1950. Having lost to Michigan State the year before, the Wolverines entered the intrastate matchup a little more hungry than usual, and it showed when Michigan State had the ball. Defensive coordinator Gary Moeller did a masterful job coaching the defense, and his son Andy made the first big play of the game, recovering a Michigan State fumble at the Spartans’ 16-yard line. Michigan quarterback Jim Harbaugh didn’t waste any time, finding Eric Kattus for a touchdown to give Michigan an early lead. Next, the special teams got into the act, as Dieter Heren blocked a punt and Ed Hood recovered the ball in the end zone to give Michigan a 14-0 lead.

The Wolverines added a field goal in the second quarter and a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter, but those scores really weren’t necessary. The Michigan defense was playing lights-out football, and the game against Michigan State was one of their signature performances of the season. Michigan ended the game with a 31-0 win over Michigan State, holding Spartans running back Lorenzo White to just 47 yards on 18 carries. State fared no better in the air, gaining just 83 passing yards. There was virtually no drama to the game against Michigan State in 1985, and that’s exactly how Michigan wanted it.

The following week, Michigan suffered a loss at Iowa, where the Wolverines’ lack of focus and intensity probably hindered their performance. That often happens following intense rivalry games, and Michigan takes part in some of the most intense rivalries in all of sports. The Wolverines finished the ’85 campaign with a record of 10 wins, 1 loss and 1 tie. In truth, the narrow loss to Iowa quite possibly prevented Michigan from winning the national championship.

Thanks to YouTube poster WolverineHistorian and CBS Sports for the highlights of this game. As always, I own nothing and this blog post is written strictly for the enjoyment of readers.

Posted on

Michigan vs Michigan State Football — Looking Back – 2004

Looking Back is a Special Feature by Jeff Cummins Highlighting Key Rivalry Games

The second installment of the series looking back at the football rivalry between Michigan and Michigan State takes us to 2004. Michigan was fresh off a tough, defensive win over Iowa, which might just have taken some energy out of the Wolverines. They’d need every bit of energy they could find to top the Spartans in 2004.

In the fourth quarter, with just 8:43 left in regulation, Michigan State had taken a 27-10 lead, and reporters in the press box could be forgiven if they’d already started working on the lead paragraph to their game stories. It seemed that the script was written, but Braylon Edwards had other ideas.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is 04ummsu-12.jpg

First, Michigan cut the lead to two touchdowns with a field goal by Garrett Rivas. Then, Brian Thompson recovered the insides kick after it bounced off a Michigan State player, and Michigan was in business. Two plays later, Edwards went up and grabbed a jump ball away from the cornerback in the end zone to bring Michigan to within one touchdown. Suddenly, a palpable shift had occurred. With 3:05 left in regulation, Mike Hart bounced outside a would-be tackle and gained 26 yards to the Spartan’s 22 yard line, and Michigan Stadium was shaking. On the ensuing play, Edwards out-jumped a defender again, and the score was tied, 27-27. However, Michigan State didn’t panic, and with time for one play in regulation, the Spartans had a shot at a 52-yard field goal, but Dave Rayner’s kick was short, and the game went to overtime.

The game went to a third overtime and Edwards gave Michigan the lead for good when he caught a slant pass and took it to the end zone. Finally, on fourth down and eight yards to go, Markus Curry knocked the ball away in the end zone, and Michigan came all the way back to claim a 45-37 win in triple overtime against Michigan State, in a game that State coach John L. Smith said the Spartans should have won.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is 04ummsu-6.jpg

Thanks to YouTube poster RXwolverine and ESPN Classic for the game broadcast. As always, I own nothing, and this blog post is written strictly for the enjoyment of readers.

V2

Posted on

Michigan vs Michigan State Football — Looking Back – 2002

Looking Back is a Special Feature by Jeff Cummins Highlighting Key Rivalry Games

The first installment of the series looking back at the football rivalry between Michigan and Michigan State takes us back to 2002. The previous year, Michigan had suffered a rather dubious defeat when Michigan State quarterback Jeff Smoker appeared not to have spiked the ball in time, but still received an additional second on the clock and completed a two-yard touchdown pass to T.J. Duckett as the clock ran out.

The Wolverines weren’t about to let the same thing happen in 2002, and they took it to Michigan State from the kickoff, winning 49-3. Well, almost from the kickoff. Michigan State got a 39-yard field goal from Dave Rayner before the Wolverines colored the game maize and blue. Running back B.J. Askew gave the Wolverines a 7-3 lead when he scored from two yards out, and when quarterback John Navarre connected with Russell Bellamy, the Wolverines took a 21-3 lead into the locker room at halftime, and most fans started planning their postgame tailgate menus.

In the third quarter, Navarre added a 12-yard touchdown pass to Bennie Joppru and a 47-yard TD pass to Bellamy. This time, there was no matter of an additional second. The Wolverines just dominated the Spartans. The rivalry game would be the last for Michigan State coach Bobby Williams, who was relieved of his job duties at the end of the season. Michigan finished the season with a trip to Tampa, where the Wolverines topped Florida in the Outback Bow, 38-30.

Thanks for ESPN for the game broadcast of this contest. As always, I do not own anything and this blog is written strictly for the enjoyment of readers.

Posted on

Michigan vs Minnesota Football — Looking Back – 2015

Looking Back is a Special Feature by Jeff Cummins Highlighting Key Rivalry Games

For the fifth and final installment of the series looking back at the Little Brown Jug rivalry, we go back to 2015, for the signature game of the series, at least in recent memory. Michigan alum Jim Harbaugh had just arrived months earlier, and his team was still finding its footing. Minnesota entered the game with Tracy Claeys serving as interim coach, due to health issues suffered by coach Jerry Kill. With the Wolverines in their white road pants and the Golden Gophers sporting gray jerseys and pants, the scene was set for a game unlike any other in the series.

Michigan started well, as the defense forced a fumble and Jabrill Peppers returned the ensuing kickoff to the Michigan 42 yard line, sparking a drive that led to a 1-yard touchdown run by Joe Kerridge. Peppers later added a 41-yard punt return, which led to a 14-yard touchdown pass from Jake Rudock to Jehu Chesson, and the Wolverines took a 14-6 lead, and it looked as if all was well.

That’s when things changed. Fast forward to the fourth quarter, and the Wolverines were trailing 26-21, with Rudock knocked out of the game. In his place came Wilton Speight, who had precious little game experience at the time. At this point, even the most staunch of believers would have had some doubts about Michigan’s ability to come back.

Thrust into the spotlight, Speight kept his cool and found Chesson in the end zone on 3rd down and 10 for a 12-yard touchdown pass to give Michigan a 29-26 lead, setting up one of the most dramatic finishes in the history of the Little Brown Jug. With 19 seconds left in the game, Minnesota quarterback Mitch Leidner threw an apparent 23-yard touchdown pass to Drew Wolitarsky, and the hearts of Wolverine fans around the globe sunk all at once.

Then, amid the noise, there was a glimmer of hope, however slight. The officiating crew determined that Wolitarsky’s knee had touched the ground before the ball had crossed the plain of the end zone, so Minnesota had a first down inside the Michigan 1 yard line. It still seemed like a long shot, but at least there was some hope. Now, if Michigan could only get a break.

Sure enough, the Wolverines got a break when Minnesota squandered valuable time trying to run the first down play. After the clock wound, Minnesota took what seemed like an eternity before snapping the ball, and then Maurice Hurst forced Leidner to essentially throw the ball away, leaving just two seconds on the clock. Would Minnesota kick the field goal, or try to muscle the ball over the goal line for the win? What followed was a game-ending goal line stop that would have made Bo Schembechler proud. After the ball was snapped, Leidner tried to score on a quarterback sneak, but the Michigan defensive line used textbook technique, stopping Leidner cold, allowing the Wolverines to recapture the Jug they had lost the year before. More than anything, this game proved that Michigan could take a punch, and come roaring back with a vengeance.

Many thanks to YouTube poster CFB Fans and ESPN for the broadcast of the game. As always, this blog post is written strictly for the enjoyment of readers, and I do not own anything, or profit in any way from this content.